Risk Factors for Obesity in Children and Adults

Abstract

Objectives

The purpose of this study was to determine whether modifiable lifestyle factors such as eating habits, physical activity, and screen-viewing time, as well as ethnicity, sex, and family income level, were associated with obesity in children and adults and whether the associations differed across age groups.

Participants

The data were drawn from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2009–2010.

Results

Multivariable logistic regression analyses were used, with obesity (defined as a body mass index of >30 kg/m² for adults and ≥95th percentile for children of the same age and sex) as the outcome variable. For children, screen-viewing (TV/computer) time was the only significant factor; in contrast, for adolescents, eating habits were the only significant predictor. For young and middle-aged adults, lack of physical exercise and time spent in sedentary activities were the determinants of obesity, whereas for older adults, both eating habits and physical activity measures were related to obesity.

Conclusions

Distinct lifestyle factors have significant associations with obesity in different age groups, and this study underscores the need for age-specific intervention programs to address the obesity epidemic.

Keywords

Obesity modifiable risk factor screen viewing time physical activity dietary habits

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Health Risks of Overweight and Obesity. National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. National Institute of Health. Available at: http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/obe/risks.html. Accessed March 9, 2013.

Overweight and Obesity: Health Consequences . Office of the Surgeon General. US Department of Health and Human Services. Available at: http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/library/calls/obesity/fact_consequences.html. Accessed March 18, 2013.

Runge

CF.

Economic consequences of the obese. Diabetes . 2007; 56 (11): 2668–2672.

Thorpe

, Florence

, Howard

, . Trends: the impact of obesity on rising medical spending. Health Aff . 2004;Suppl Web Exclusive W4:480–486.

Finkelstein

, Khavjou

, Thompson

, . Obesity and severe obesity forecasts through 2030. Am J Prev Med . 2012; 42 (6): 563–570.

Walley

, Blakemore

AIF

, Froguel

Genetics of obesity and the prediction of risk for health. Hum Mol Genet . 2006; 5 (2): R124–R130.

Do Fast Food Restaurants Contribute to Obesity? National Bureau of Economic Research. Available at: http://www.nber.org/bah/2009no1/w14721.html. Accessed March 9, 2013.

Reduce Screen Time . National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. National Institute of Health. Available at: http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/obesity/wecan/reduce-screen-time/index.htm. Accessed March 24, 2013.

Bensimhon DR , Kraus

, Donahue

MP.

Obesity and physical activity: a review. Am Heart J . 2006; 151 (3): 598–603.

10.

Troiano

, Berrigan

, Dodd

, . Physical activity in the United States measured by accelerometer. Med Sci Sports Exerc . 2008; 40 (1): 181–188.

11.

National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey . 2009–2010. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nhanes/nhanes2009-2010/nhanes09_10.htm. Accessed January 7, 2013.

12.

National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey Methodology . 2009–2010. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nhanes/nhanes2009-2010/questexam09_10.htm. Accessed April 23, 2013.

13.

American Diabetes Association . 2 To 20 years: boys—body mass index-for-age percentiles. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/growthcharts/data/set2clinical/cj41c073.pdfx. Accessed April 23, 2013.

14.

American Diabetes Association . 2 To 20 years: girls—body mass index-for-age percentiles. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/growthcharts/data/set1clinical/cj41l024.pdf. Accessed April 23, 2013.

15.

Evidence-based: nutrition principles and recommendations for the treatment and prevention of diabetes and related complications. Diabetes Care . 2002; 25: 148–198, 202–212.

16.

Huang

, Lee

, Lu

MC.

Prenatal programming of childhood overweight and obesity. Matern Child Health J . 2007; 11 (5): 461–473.

17.

Harris

KM.

An integrative approach to health. Demography . 2010; 47 (1); 1–22.